Red or grey roof tiles?

glasgowdan

We're thinking of changing the roof tiles on the new house from red slate to grey tiles. This requires planning permission as it's in a town preservation/conservation area.

Is this a wise thing to do? I'm thinking dark grey purely as an aesthetic thing, though the roof does need renewed sometime soon regardless. Surely the UK isn't hot enough for this to be an issue?

Has anyone any experience and able to share their thoughts?

EssexExile

Will the roof take the extra weight of tiles over slates?

DigForVictory

Planning will let you know in no uncertain terms what you may & may not do.

They are also allowed to specify a particular palette & that may come at a specific price.

If money is an issue, I'd focus on reusing as much of the agreed existing slates as possible as being the one house that's different will almost certainly not get the nod from Planning.

glasgowdan

It's one of 4-5 houses that look similar, but they've all had various mods over the years. Extensions, dormers, garages etc.

I spoke to planning and I'll need to apply first and pay rhe £200 before i get answers unfortunately.

Other than tuese specific PP issues, is there a case for or against dark roofs?

I've no idea about the weight question! I think we'll have to wait until we've moved in; this could take months!

Davesnave

EssexExile wrote: »

Will the roof take the extra weight of tiles over slates?

I think the word 'slate' refers to colour as both are called tiles in the OP.

Personally I'd stick with grey, but having received a huge donation of brown tiles for my refurb from a lady who "simply must have a red roof" I'm very aware that they're seen as highly desirable, by some.

We can certainly see her house now, a couple of miles away! :rotfl:

glasgowdan

This is the house, we're just trying to make it look good and repair some issues.

Davesnave

I think the answer also depends on what you're doing with the walls. If they're staying roughcast, unpainted, then it might end up rather dour with grey tiles.

OTOH, if that's render which can be painted......

To me it needs cheering-up, but if I could do that with the walls, then the roof could stay very understated.

glasgowdan

I am after doing the rendering in an almost white, maybe a form of speckled pebbledash. Had something like this in mind


But if keeping the roof red would look good too I guess I'd be happy with that, maybe like:

Davesnave

Yes, either really, though not the big tiles for me.

I'd be fixing the flat roof at the same time. Did that on mine, as the previous [STRIKE]plonker[/STRIKE] owner had added a flat roofed extension at the front.

Jonesya

Just a thought but if you're going to be re-tiling the roof now's the best opportunity you'll get to fit solar panels and as you're refiling you could go for an in-roof installation. So seamlessly embedded the panels the roof, replacing the tiles with panels, rather than the retrofit approach of mounting them on top of the tiles.

This sort of thing:

http://www.windandsun.co.uk/products/PV-Mounting-Structures/GSE-Integration-Roof-Integrated#.V3wBMZDTVJ8

MX5huggy

Roof integrating PV panels is not particularly good for the panels they are more efficient when cooler so the air moving under them on a on roof installation keeps them cooler and you get more watt hours produced.